According to the online Jazz Discography, pianist, composer, and arranger Michael “Dodo” Marmarosa participated in 140 sessions, at first with big bands led by Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey, and Artie Shaw, and in small groups like Shaw’s Gramercy Five and various Slim Gailliard ensembles. He played with both Lester Young and Charlie Parker, made trio recordings for Dial in 1947, and did some small band record dates in the Sixties for Argo and Prestige. Obviously, he was very well-respected by his contemporaries, and yet today he’s mostly remembered for his name. Pianist Craig Davis is out to change that, and he’s enlisted the non-pareil bass and drums team of John Clayton and Jeff Hamilton to assist him on Tone Paintings: The Music Of Dodo Marmarosa. Clayton and Hamilton first recorded together as members of the Monty Alexander trio in May 1976. Over the forty-plus years since that date, they’ve teamed on a vast number of record dates, and they’ve co-led The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra since 1989. Having them on a session ensures an endless source of solid swing. Along with ten of Marmarosa’s delightful originals, all first recorded between 1945 and 1947, Davis has written one tune for the project, A Ditty For Dodo, which fits snugly in the middle of the set. He’s a gifted pianist, with a bouncy and propulsive rhythmic sense, and an elegant style reminiscent of Hank Jones and Barry Harris. If these deeply felt and passionate renditions of Marmarosa’s bop-era tunes don’t start to encourage more musicians to play them, it won’t be for lack of trying. Tone Paintings will keep your toes tapping and your spirit lifted. Definitely recommended.
MCG Jazz MCGJ 1056; Craig Davis (p) John Clayton (b) Jeff Hamilton (d); Glendale, CA, May 1-2, 2021; Mellow Mood/ Dodo’s Bounce/ Dodo’s Blues/ Escape/ A Ditty For Dodo/ Opus No. 5/ Compadoo/ Dary Departs/ Tone Paintings I/ Battle Of The Balcony Jive/ Dodo’s Lament; 50:53. www.mcgjazz.org
Pianist Matthew Fries is joined by the stalwart bassist John Hébert and the experienced drummer Keith Hall for Lost Time, performing a batch of beguiling original tunes. The eminently tasteful Fries and Hall have worked together backing vocalist Curtis Stigers starting in 2004, so their rapport comes as no surprise. While Hébert is probably most known for his work in Mary Halvorson’s bands from 2008 to 2015, he’s played on dozens and dozens of record dates since first recording with a large Peter Herborn ensemble in 1997. His connection to saxophonist Andrew Rathbun, who produced this session, goes back to 1998. In spite of the pandemic isolation, where one might expect music reflecting feelings of introspective morosity, the mood of Fries’ tunes is often upbeat, like the solidly swinging Quarantine. There’s plenty to enjoy here, including The Fog, which opens the set with an immediate sense of the musicians functioning as equals in the music; the absorbing Heroes, with its multiple tempo shifts handled with imperturbable aplomb by the trio; the introspective ballad Continuum, which features one of several fine bass solos by Hébert; and the wistful and delicate Lost Time, which closes the vinyl version of this music. Two songs (another pretty ballad called Nine Robins and the jaunty June Blues) are available only for downloading or streaming. Happily recommended.
Xcappa XCP1005 (vinyl, download and streaming); Matthew Fries (p) John Hébert (b) Keith Hall (d); Chicago, IL, July 21, 2021; The Fog/ Insomnia/ Quarantine/ Heroes/ Continuum/ Lost Time/ Nine Robins*/ 8 June Blues*; 55:44. (* tracks are download or streaming only) xcappa.com
Watching the Chris Parker Trio at work in the studio on a video press release while they were recording Tell Me, I was struck by the sheer joy that was obvious on the faces of pianist Kyoko Oyobe, bassist Ameen Saleem, and drummer/leader Chris Parker as they played. The veteran Parker, who’s played with everyone from the Brecker Brothers, Lionel Hampton, and Gato Barbieri to Cher, Bob Dylan, and Aretha Franklin, sounds totally relaxed in the trio format, giving his partners plenty of solo space. The deep pleasure that I saw on the video is evident in the music. Saleem has a powerful sound. He generally keeps his solos short and to the point, seamlessly shifting from soloist to accompanist. Oyobe, with only a few previous recordings to her credit, seems like the real deal. She’s got a great sense of time, technique to spare, and a penchant for long flowing lines. Her standout solo comes on Tophland, where she dazzles as she rides the waves of Parker’s propulsive drumming. The trio is equally effective at tempos like the brisk Coolypso, adapted from Monk’s Let’s Cool One or the deliberate pace of Dwa Serduzska, Parker’s delicate arrangement of a Polish folk song, which makes for an engrossing listening experience. The trio set ends with the title track, Tell Me, and everyone has their say on this happy swinging tune. Parker has placed a quartet track at the end of the CD, Title Waived. Steven Bernstein gives it atmosphere with a slew of brass instruments, guitarist Chris Biesterfeldt and bassist David Finck bring the funk, and the whole thing has a late-night slow groove. Not bad, really, but out of place just the same. But that’s no reason to ignore the trio material, which is well worth hearing.
M’Bubba; Kyoko Oyobe (p) Ameen Saleem (b) Chris Parker (d) on * only: Steven Bernstein (tpt, slide tpt, tbn, euph) Chris Biesterfeldt (g) David Finck (b) Parker (d); NYC, no dates indicated; Coolypso/ Desaparecido/ Inferno Avenue/ Dwa Serduzska (for Hanna)/ Minky, Don't You Weep/ Nippon Days, Nippon Nights/ Tophland/ West Cornwall Bridge/ Tell Me/ Title Waived*; 59:24. www.chrisparkerdrums.com
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